


Not a Dog

by AithuzahFic (veritably_mad)



Series: follow fic [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2014-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 18:44:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1993779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veritably_mad/pseuds/AithuzahFic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On endearments and thank yous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not a Dog

**Author's Note:**

> To celebrate/thank 200 followers on my [Merlin blog](http://aithuzah.tumblr.com).

There were tents. 

Weeks had passed, and now there were tents set up on their lawn. Merlin wondered vaguely if that was legal as he nodded to a few of the self-proclaimed "followers" who had settled in - apparently for the long haul - on the grass. 

He had to pick his way through the messy maze of bodies to the front step. He unlocked and opened the door with a brush of magic to avoid the awkward grocery juggling that would inevitably result in torn bags, cracked eggs, and possibly a can of something heavy landing on his toes. 

"I think there are more of them today," he said, kicking the door shut behind him. He dumped his armful of groceries on the kitchen counter.

"What are they still doing here?" Arthur panted between blows at the practice dummy (which Merlin kept telling him not to set up indoors) that he'd stuck in the middle of the living room. "Why do more keep  _coming_?"

The table and chairs were shoved against the walls, and he'd moved anything valuable out of range. Merlin couldn't nag him too much for this, or so Arthur hoped. It wasn't as though he had space outdoors to practice, anyway; the mob of people ensured that. ("I'm sure if you asked them to clear a space - " "That wasn't the problem. They sat around and watched me! _"_ "Aren't you used to people watching you by now?" "Not like that, Merlin.  _Not like that."_ )

"Maybe it's a destiny thing. Once and Future King, you know. I don't think they're Druids - no one has called me Emrys yet, and I can't hear any mental chatter, so there's that," Merlin said as he unpacked the plastic bags. "I don't know. I'm going to make them cookies."

Arthur nearly dropped the wooden sword Merlin had given him to practice with (and to prevent another Red Recliner Incident). "What the hell do you want to do that for?"

"To thank them."

"For what? What have they done besides sit there?" He stuck the blunt, rounded point of the sword into the carpet so he could lean on the hilt.

"The paper hearts are nice." Merlin nodded to the hallway leading to the bedroom, which was now wallpapered in red cutouts. "And for being here when they don't have to be, I suppose. Have you talked to any of them? They're friendly! Much better company than a clotpole like you."

"That word is out of date. Get a new insult," Arthur grumbled, prodding the dummy. His lip pushed into a kissable pout, and Merlin grinned fondly at him.

He spun to face the kitchen and let a surge of magic pull the pans out of the cupboards and set the oven to preheat and open the twelve different types of cookie dough he'd bought. The power tingled pleasantly in his fingertips and chest, but even better was the happy flutter in his belly at the knowledge he could do this in front of Arthur at all. 

"It's hardly even an insult at this point," Merlin mused as chocolate chip dough flew out of a tub and rolled into neat little balls that lined up on a tray. "More like a...a pet name."

Arthur spluttered for a moment before he spoke. "A  _pet name?_ What am I, your dog?"

Merlin rolled his eyes. "No, you prat. I mean an  _endearment_ , like 'honey' or 'sweet.' But not like those, because you're not very sweet." He leaned his elbows on the table facing the living room and dug a finger into some leftover dough to eat raw. Two filled trays of soon-to-be cookies slid into the oven behind him.

"An endearment," Arthur repeated flatly. " _Clotpole_  is your idea of an  _endearment."_  He'd begun to drag a few chairs back into place, swordplay abandoned. He didn't put them back the way they were before, either out of a desire for a change of scenery, or (more likely) carelessness. 

And then the meaning of what Merlin had said caught up with him, and Arthur gave him a soft, appraising look. The less-than-platonic aspects of their relationship were still fairly new to both of them. Visibly, anyway; Merlin hoped Arthur wouldn't realize exactly how far his feelings went back any time soon.

Before Arthur could say anything more on the subject of insulting endearments, how frequently they were used, and for how long certain people been using them to that effect, Merlin clapped his hands together brusquely and changed the subject.

"What about a big thank you card?" 

"What?" Arthur followed Merlin's gaze. Through the blinds, he could make out a circle of people playing some sort of bizarre game, though he wasn't sure what it was or what the intentions were. He groaned and shoved the dummy into a corner, fully intending to use it inside for as long as Merlin let him get away with it. "I still don't see why you want to thank them for anything. Aren't cookies enough?"

"Fine. I see I'll be getting no help from you," Merlin sniffed, as if that hadn't been obvious from the beginning. Arthur just snorted. 

 

Several hours later, Arthur stood on the front step holding two plates of cookies and glowering at everyone who took one while Merlin mingled his way through the crowd, laughing and chatting with everyone around him and looking stupidly bright and radiant and a whole list of adjectives that Arthur would never, ever say out loud to him. 

A blinding flash made him jump, nearly spilling baked goods onto the grass, and he realized he'd been caught staring. Possibly smiling a little dopily. On camera. 

"Oh, that's a good one," he heard. "You can practically  _see_ the hearts in his eyes! You have to show  _everyone_ , omg."

_Fuck._

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comments, and constructive critiques are always welcome and much appreciated.
> 
> (I'm greedy for feedback, I admit it.)


End file.
